A land of song

 

The Welsh have been famous for their singing for centuries. On his travels around Wales in the twelfth century, Giraldus Cambrensis wrote "in a crowd of singers ... you will hear as many melodies as you see mouths". This tradition carries on today. If you go to a Welsh rugby match, you will hear supporters singing in harmony. Male-voice choirs are found throughout Wales, and many Welsh people have become famous opera singers.

 

The reputation of Wales as a centre for music attracts musicians from all over the world to its various festivals. Every year, 40 countries take part in the International Music Eisteddfod, has performers from every country with a Celtic culture, including Scotland, Ireland, France and Spain.

 

Michael Vaughan-Rees, Geraldine Sweeney, Picot Cassidy: In Britain; Cornelsen Verlag, 2000, page 86